Machine with horizontally or inclined disposed caterpillar mold for the downward casting of non-ferrous metals

ABSTRACT

In a machine with horizontally or inclined disposed caterpillar mold for the downward casting of non-ferrous metals drain traps are secured between the mold halves of the lower caterpillar chain in order to prevent damages caused by molten metal flowing out accidentally between opposite mold halves.

O United States Patent 1 1 [111 3,709,281

Bolliger [4 1 Jan. 9, 1973 [54] MACHINE WITH HORIZONTALLY OR [56] References Cited INCLINED DISPOSED CATERPILLAR UNITED STATES PATENTS MOLD FOR THE DOWNWARD 2 7 2 649 7/ 6 H 5 195 unter ..l64/279 X CASTING 0F NON FERROUS METALS 2,751,647 6/1956 Brownstein.. 164/279 [75] Inventor: Martin Bolliger, Muraz,Sw tzerland 3,570,586 3/1971 Lauener ..l64/279 [73] Assignee: Prolizenz AG, Chur, Switzerland FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Filed: J 1, 1971 216,466 12/1941 Switzerland ..l64/279 4 [21] Appl No 1588 5 Primary Examiner-R. Spencer Annear Attorney-Ernest F. Marmorek [30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 3, 1970 Switzerland ..l0077/70 [57] ABSTRACT In a machine with horizontally or inclined disposed [52] US. Cl ..l64/l53, 164/279 caterpillar mold for the downward casting of non-fer- [51] Int. Cl. ..B22d 11/06 rous metals drain traps are secured between the mold [58] Field of Search ..i64/87, 152, 153, 279 halves of the lower caterpillar chain in order to prevent damages caused by molten metal flowing out accidentally between opposite mold halves.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 9 I973 SHEET 1 0F 3 SHEET 2 BF 3 PATENTEUJAN 91975 3.709 281 sum 3 [IF 3 Fig. 7

MACHINE WITH HORIZONTALLY OR INCLINED DISPOSED CATERPILLAR MOLD FOR THE DOWNWARD CASTING OF NON-FERROUS METALS CROSS-REFERENCE TO OTHER PATENTS Reference should be had to U.S. Pat. No. 2.631.343 relating to a continuous casting machine and to U.S. Pat. No. 3.570.586 relating to a machine with caterpillar mold for casting strips from non-ferrous metals, especially aluminum and aluminum alloys.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For the continuous casting of strips from aluminum, copper, zinc and other metals there have been machines developed with caterpillar-type molds in which the casting mold is formed by a double row of mold halves which are connected into a pair of endless circularly running chains. At the inlet end the mold halves which are positioned opposite to each other will lie against each other and move in such position over a certain path over which they form the caterpillar-like mold itself. Then they become separated in order that after a short while to meet at the inlet end again.

In the Handbuch des Stranggiessens by E. Herrmann, published 1958 by the Aluminium-Verlag GmbH, Dusseldorf, West Germany, on pages 51-63 a casting process employing caterpillartype molds is described.

Among the caterpillar-type casting machines which have become known during the last years there is to mention the machine manufactured by the Hunter Douglas Corporation according to U.S. Pat. No. 2.631.343 (see also the above-mentioned Handbuch, pages 536/537 and 540/541 and that for the casting of strips of aluminum and aluminum alloys.

More recently there has been developed a caterpillar mold machine for casting wide strips of non-ferrous metals, especially aluminum and aluminum alloys, which machine comprises a series of mold blocks (mold halves) which interact to form a mold for casting strips, guide means and drive means for said mold blocks free from direct contact with said mold blocks for heat transfer restraint, and supporting and fastening means disposed between said mold blocks and said guide and drive means forming the only heat transfer connection between said mold blocks and said guide and drive means and having a low total heat conductivity. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 3.570.586.

When downward casting in a machine provided with horizontally or inclined disposed caterpillar mold there guide and the drive element) when molten casting metal flows out between the opposite mold halves which are not yet completely closed or separate again.

The device according to the present invention is characterized by drain traps (drain bags) having one is the danger that, for instance when a delivery nozzle SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a continuous casting machine provided with a device which enables the operator to prevent the damages at the caterpillar mold and at the machine (before all at the supporting, the

longitudinal edge is secured to the front side of one mold half and the other longitudinal edge is secured to the front side of the opposite mold half and which drain traps are provided at least at one end with a lateral outlet for molten metal. Of course these drain traps must be made in such a way that their longitudinal edges may be repeatedly spread at least so far apart as the fixing spots at the front sides of the mold halves separate during the revolution of the said mold halves. One manages that overflowing molten metal discharges for instance over deflectors into drain channels under the drain traps and from there into suitable collecting reservoirs.

The drain traps can be manufactured for instance from a refractory non-metallic textile fabric or from two metal sheets hinged together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The drawings illustrate two embodiments of the invention, v

FIG.- 1 is a schematic side elevation of the half of the casting machine at the inlet end in a first embodiment of the invention, with omission of theparts which are not necessary for the understanding, this embodiment comprising drain traps made from asbestos cloth,

FIG. 2 shows the part A of FIG. 1 on a greater scale and FIG. 3 shows the part B of FIG. 1 on a greater scale;

FIG. 4 illustrates by means of an exploded view of a corner of a drain trap the securing method on the front side of a mold half and FIG. 5 the completed attachment according to FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows a section along the line C.C of FIG. 1 across the whole mold width (but only of the middle portion of the mold),

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a'drain trap made from metal sheet according to a second-embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS numeral 14 means the supporting frame of the casting machine, the numeral 15 the supporting structure for the hydraulic piston device 16 which supports the metal feeding trough 17 and enables to move the same in longitudinal direction. The'numeral l8 denotes a support made from cast steel having a low coefficient of expansion for the nozzle 19 made of Marini te.

When the nozzle 19 breaks, the danger is evident that molten metal flows out between the front sides of the not yet completely closed mold halves 12 of the lower caterpillar chain and makes the supporting, the guide and the drive members of the casting machine for the moment unserviceable.

At the other, not represented half of the continuous casting machine it may happen that because of a trouble in the drawing out of the dummy bottom or because of a drawing out of the formed strand with excessive speed the not yet solidified metal melt flows out of the separating mold halves.

In order to avoid the drawbacks and the damages which may happen when metal melt flows out between the front sides of mold halves a drain trap 20 made of asbestos cloth of about 2 to 2.5 mm thickness is secured between the opposite frontsides of each pair of mold halves of the lower caterpillar chain 10. Instead of asbestos cloth one may use for instance Fiberfrax (trade mark) textile fabric with or without chromenickel steel wire inserts. The drain trap 20 extends over the whole mold width. It is suitably widened on both ends from the longitudinal edges by which it is secured to the mold halves to the fold and forms in this way two outlets 20 0. Of course it is possible to make the drain trap much wider than the mold halves, to close it at one end and to let the said end protrude, whereas an outlet is formed at the other end. With such an embodiment molten metal which possibly flows out would be collected only at one side of the casting machine.

For the purpose of holding the drain trap 20, the appertaining fastening ledge 21 as well as the flat springs 22, there is provided an offset 24 on the front side 23 of the mold halves 12 (FIG. 4) so that the opposite front sides 23 of each pair of mold halves can touch one another tightly without being hindered by the drain trap 20. One inserts a screw bolt 25 (FIG. through the borehole 26 in the ledge 21, through the borehole 27 in the flat spring 22 and through the U-shaped recess 28 of the drain trap and screws the said screw bolt into the borehole 29 of the recessed portion of the mold half. In this way one secures the ledge 21 and the flat spring 22 as well as the longitudinal edge of the drain trap 20 to the mold. In the present embodiment four flat springs 22 are fixed on each drain trap 20, two at both ends (FIG. 6).

The flat springs 22 serve the purpose of preventing the collapse of the drain trap 20 on the lower path of the caterpillar chain, when the mold halves are directed downwards. On the said lower path the drain trap 20 still extends straight into the space between the mold halves. In the absence of these flat springs the drain traps slip between the front sides 23 of the mold halves 12 on the lower travel path of the lower caterpillar chain, hinder the said front sides from touching one another and put the casting machine out of service.

The flat springs 22 are made for instance from a mm wide and from 0.5 mm to 1 mm thick strip of spring steel and have a length which does not reach the bottom edge of the mold half 12, but extend for instance at most on about two-thirds of the length of the asbestos cloth. Their free end is somewhat rolled in the direction of the opposite flat spring in order to prevent any damage to the asbestos cloth.

The cavity 30 of the mold (FIG. 6) is formed by the molding walls of the mold halves 12 and 13 and by both the lateral edges 31 screwed on the mold half 12.

Any molten metal escaping between mold halves flows through both lateral outlets of the drain trap 20 over the toothed racks 32, which form part of the drive, on deflectors 33 into drain channels 34 and from there into a collectiag reservoir (not shown). Asit can best be seen in F1 6, besides the toothed racks 32 and I besides the sprocket wheels (not shown) there are pro-..

tected against flowing out metal the mold supports 35, the distance pins 36, the axles 37 with their guide rollers 38, the guides 39, the fastening screw- 40 and the engine 41. If the feeding nozzle 19 breaks one can continue the casting operation immediately after replacement of the nozzle.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 7 the drain and connecting strips 48. For the sake of clarity the mold half to which the sheet 42 in the foreground is attached is not shown in the Figure. In the inside of the drain trap the sheets 42 are covered with a mold dressing, Fiberfrax-felt or the like, so that when molten metal flows out it does not freeze at once or not to a worth mentioning extent in the drain trap.

From the above it is apparent that although the in vention has been described with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, by the appended claims, I intend to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true sprit and scope of my invention.

[claim 1. Machine with horizontally or inclined disposed caterpillar mold for the downward casting of non-ferrous metals, especially of aluminum and aluminum alloys, characterized by drain traps between the adjacent mold halves at the lower caterpillar chain, said drain traps having one longitudinal edge secured to the .back of one mold half and the other longitudinal edge secured to the front of the subsequent mold half and which drain traps are provided at least at one end with a lateral outlet for molten metal. f

2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the drain traps are manufactured from a refractory non-metallic textile fabric.

3. Machine with horizontally or inclined disposed caterpillar mold for the downward casting of non-ferrous metals, especially aluminum and aluminum alloys, comprising drain traps between-the adjacent mold halves of the lower caterpillar chain, said drain traps having onelongitudinal edge secured to-the backv of one mold half and the other'longitudinal edge secured to the front of the subsequent mold half, the said drain traps being provided at least at one end with a lateral outlet for molten metal, and comprising furthermore flat springs which serve the purpose of preventing the collapse of the drain traps on the lower path of the caterpillar chain. I 4. Machine according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the drain traps are manufactured from two metal sheets hinged together. 

1. Machine with horizontally or inclined disposed caterpillar mold for the downward casting of non-ferrous metals, especially of aluminum and aluminum alloys, characterized by drain traps between the adjacent mold halves at the lower caterpillar chain, said drain traps having one longitudinal edge secured to the back of one mold half and the other longitudinal edge secured to the front of the subsequent mold half and which drain traps are provided at least at one end with a lateral outlet for molten metal.
 2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the drain traps are manufactured from a refractory non-metallic textile fabric.
 3. Machine with horizontally or inclined disposed caterpillar mold for the downward casting of non-ferrous metals, especially aluminum and aluminum alloys, comprising drain traps between the adjacent mold halves of the lower caterpillar chain, said drain traps having one longitudinal edge secured to the back of one mold half and the other longitudinal edge secured to the front of the subsequent mold half, the said drain traps being provided at least at one end with a lateral outlet for molten metal, and comprising furthermore flat springs which serve the purpose of preventing the collapse of the drain traps on the lower path of the caterpillar chain.
 4. Machine according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the drain traps are manufactured from two metal sheets hinged together. 